Art Show Policies

CLICK HERE TO APPLY.

We provide the option of paying of your Art Show registration through PayPal, Credit-card (using the PayPal website), or by mail-in check or money-order.

Please register before January 1st for your best chance to receive space. Registration received afterwards are on a “first come, first served” basis.

Art Show Rules, Guidelines

By registering for the BABSCon Art Show, artists agree to the rules and guidelines presented here in the Artist Agreement.

Panels and Table Spaces

BABSCon’s Art Show will be PG appropriate (as approved by Art Auction Staff). Each section will have space to display 3D art. Pricing for panels/tables is set to the limitations of the space. Entries into the silent auction are not subject to entry fees. Descriptions of the what is suitable for both sections is outlined in the our Content Guidelines section below.

Art Show panels are 4 feet high by 4 feet wide
3D table spaces are 6 feet deep by 2 feet wide

Artists may request as many panels or 3D table spaces as desired, however space will be assigned by Art Show staff based on availability.

Panel Assignment, Pricing, and Payments

Art Show Panels and Tables will not be assigned until the beginning of December. All artists will be notified of their panel assignments by Art Show staff. After the initial assignments have been processed, remaining Art Show space will be apportioned on a first-come, first-served basis.

All artists displaying work in the Art Show must sign/submit an Art Show Agreement. Panels will not be assigned to any artists who has not secured their registration with a payment and signed Art Show Agreement. If registering for the Art Show via mail-in, be sure to include a signed Art Show Agreement with mailed-in checks!

Artists may share panel space if they so choose; payment to artists who share a panel will be made to one artist only. Dividing up the payment is the artist’s responsibility, not that of The BABSCon Art Show or Harmonious Elements, Inc.

Pricing – Pricing for Art Show panels and Table Space are as follows:

Art Show Panels, Full/Half – $15/$10 each
3D Table Space, Full/Half – $15/$10 each

Payments - Artists may make payments either online as part of their online Art Show registration or via traditional mail-in check. Please make checks payable to “Harmonious Elements”.

If an artist chose to remit payment via traditional mail please contact artshow@babscon.com for payment details.

Artist Payments and Commission

In addition to the fees for reserving panels and/or tables, BABSCon collects a ten percent (10%) commission on all art sold. The BABSCon Art Show collects sales tax. The Art Show will not withhold income tax or other taxes; such taxes are the sole responsibility of the artist.

In accordance with California law, the artist will be provided with the names and addresses of the purchasers of their art.

Payment to the artist will be made by check in US Dollars only within forty-five days of the close of the convention.

Cancellation and Forfeiture

Panels may be cancelled at any time. Artists are requested to inform the Art Show as soon as they know they will not use a panel. Refunds for Panel and/or Table Space will be issued until Panel/Table assignment occurs in the beginning of Febuary. After Panel/Table assignments have been made, refunds will be issued on a case by case basis.

Unless prior arrangements have been made with BABSCon Art Show staff, artists who do not claim their space in assigned spaces by Noon on the Friday of the convention will forfeit those spaces. There will be no refunds for forfeited spaces.

Art Show Content and Display Guidelines

General Theme – BABSCon is a My Little Pony fan convention, likewise, our Art Show also MLP themed. The majority of an artist’s displayed work must must prominently feature the themes of MLP, it’s characters (canon or non-canon), the world of Equestria, flora & fauna, or content appropriate fan-made material within science fiction and fantasy themes. This is not a general-interest science fiction Art Show.

General Audience – Artwork in the General Audience section must be suitable for all ages. Frontal nudity (defined as bare breasts or exposed genitalia), obvious sexual contact (even if the genitalia are not visible), extreme violence, and depictions of illegal drug use will not be accepted into the auction.

Defamation/Libel/Parody – Artwork that defames or libels any living person, trademarked, copyrighted property, or well-known fictional character may not be displayed.
Parody may be allowed at the discretion of Art Show Volunteers who will make the determination of a piece is mere parody or defamation.

Firearms – Functional firearms, no matter how artistic, may not be displayed.
Subject Matter – Depictions of the following subject matters may not be displayed in the BABSCon Art Show:

Depictions of extreme violence
Depictions that can be considered a direct threat against another person
Depictions that may otherwise be considered legally actionable
If there any questions whether or not a particular piece is appropriate for the BABSCon’s Art Show for any reason (content, thematic relevance, etc..), do not hesitate to contact Art Show staff! They’re here to help!

Decisions regarding suitability theme and content are the sole discretion of the BABSCon Art Show staff.

Prints – The BABSCon Art Show accepts for display and/or sale that are not original pieces of art. (“prints”) The BABSCon Art Show requires that all prints be labeled as such.

Additionally, California Law requires the following information be provided with prints:

A print from an unlimited print run must be labeled as such
A print from a limited print run must be numbered, along with the size of the print run (e.g. “5 of 20″)
The method of printing must be given. ( lithograph, giclée, etc… )
If the print was made from a plate (such as a lithograph), and the plate has been destroyed, the date of the plate’s destruction must be given
No more than one print of any given piece may be displayed in the BABSCon Art Show.

Flat Art – Please observe the following requirements and recommendations for the display of flat art in the BABSCon Art Show.

All flat art must be mounted or matted; artists may not simply hang a piece of paper with a drawing on it. (Exceptions may be made for original comic book pages on Bristol board and paintings on framed canvases may be made.) Small flat artwork should be framed or shrink-wrapped.

Artwork composed of smudge-prone media (pencils, pastels, etc.) should be protected with fixative or otherwise protected from accidental damage.

The Art Show is not responsible for damage caused to artwork by hanging or by the art’s fragility. Artists, protect your art!

3D Art – Three-dimensional artwork often requires special arrangements. Artists planning to display 3D Art in the BABSCon Art Show please should let Art Show staff know the nature of the artwork in advance so that any necessary accommodations for specific needs can be made (electricity, small valuable items displayed in a cabinet, etc…)

The BABSCon Art Show reserves the right to refuse service or display privileges to anyone without comment.

At-Con Artist Check-In / Post-Con Artist Pick-Up

Check-In – Art may not be displayed until the artist has checked in with the Art Show volunteers and their paperwork verified. The Art Show panels are pegboards. Hanging hooks and clips will be provided. Artists may begin checking-in and hanging their work after 10am Friday. (Thursday evening may also be available for hanging of work, depending on timeliness of convention set-up; please check with the Art Show on Thursday.)

Once a piece is entered in the Art Show, the terms of sale (minimum bid, not-for-sale status, etc.) may not be changed. It may not be removed from the Art Show until after the Art Show has closed. A piece is considered to be entered from the moment a bid sheet sheet has been placed by it at the panel or table.

Artists may add pieces to the Art Show as late as 2pm on Saturday.

Tags – Every piece of art displayed in the Art Show must have a tag attached to the back, with the artist’s name, the title of the piece, and the medium. Forms will be provided. This is in addition to the bid sheet, and is necessary in case the bid sheet is separated from the art.

Bid Sheet – Every piece of art displayed in the Art Show must have a bid sheet, even if the piece is not being offered for sale via auction. ( In such cases, “not for sale” will be written on the bid sheet.)

Bid sheets will be provided and will be set to a maximum of 10. If 10 bids are reached, item will be pulled for the voice auction.

Unsold Artwork – Unsold artwork may be retrieved from the Art Show on Sunday during the published Art Show Check-Out and Pick-Up times. All art must be picked up by the close of the convention on Monday. Exact pick-up times will be posted at the Art Show.

Any other arrangements (such as mail-in art) must be made with the Art Show staff or a penalty equal to ten percent (10%) of the minimum bid plus actual shipping charges may be assessed.

Damage – If a piece is damaged, or other conditions or offers are attached to the piece, these must be approved by the Art Show Staff.

Art Show Bidding/Sales

Silent Auction – Pieces on display at the BABSCon Art Show may be offered for silent auction. It is not required that displayed pieces be offered for auction.

Voice Auction – A piece with a sufficient number of bids (10) will go to to voice auction. If no additional bids are made at the voice auction the piece will be offered to the last silent bidder.

Direct Sale ( “Buy Now” ) – Artists have the option of allowing pieces to be sold immediately during the show without going through the auction process. This is done by writing a price in the “Buy Now” field of the bid sheet and control sheet. If a piece has no bids on it, a bidder may elect to purchase the piece immediately at the “Buy Now” price. We strongly suggest that the “Buy Now” price be substantially higher than the minimum bid price.

Artists who do not not wish to provide a “Buy Now” price may draw a large X in the “Buy Now” space on the bid sheet and write “NO” in the “Buy Now” column of the control sheet.
A piece for which the “Buy Now” price has been met will remain on display until the close of the Art Show, and will be picked up with the rest of purchased artwork on Sunday.

Liability & Legalese

The exhibitor agrees to protect, keep, and save Harmonious Elements, Inc. d/b/a BABSCon forever harmless from any damage(s) or charge(s) imposed for violations of any law or ordinance by any exhibitor, his employees or agents, as well for failure to comply with the terms and agreements. The exhibitor shall at all times protect, indemnify, save and keep harmless BABSCon against and from any loss, cost, damage, liability or expense which arises out of or by reason of any act or omission of exhibitor, his or her employees or agents.

The laws of the State of California and the United States of America will govern all matters concerning the exhibition of artwork at BABSCon. In the event that any portion of this agreement is held to be unenforceable or invalid, the rest of the agreement shall remain in effect.

Artists Intending to Exhibit in 2016

If there are any questions or concerns, please contact us at artshow@babscon.com!